FACT BRIEF
Was the chair of the Nevada Democratic Party formally convicted of felony theft?
NO
Judith Whitmer, who was elected chair of the Nevada Democratic Party in 2021, was charged with organized fraud and grand theft in 1996 for cashing between $750 and $5,000 worth of fraudulent checks in other peoples' names from her employer. However, the first charge was thrown out, and after pleading no contest to the second charge, the judge withheld adjudication, meaning Whitmer was not formally convicted.
8 News Now, which broke the story, issued a correction clarifying this. The Las Vegas Review-Journal provided additional information after reviewing the court records.
In a written statement, Whitmer stated:"As Democrats, we believe that neither poverty nor the challenges that come with it should disqualify anyone from anything. Like millions of Americans, I found myself in an impossible situation as a young woman but I'm proud to have emerged from those circumstances and built a better life."
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Sources
Las Vegas Review-Journal Attacks on Whitmer continue as race for Democratic Party chair heats up
KLAS Nevada Democratic Party chair charged with felony theft in 1990s
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